Hose reel for use with oil rigs

ABSTRACT

A hose reel for use with a moveable oil rig is disclosed. The hose reel can hold a hose having a length of greater than 150 feet with a pressure rating of greater than 5,000 psi. As the rig moves, or as otherwise convenient, the hose reel permits the hose to play out as the hose reel rotates. A motor can help to rotate the reel. The reel can have plural sections to accommodate hoses of different sizes.

BACKGROUND

Oil rigs have been used to extract hydrocarbons from wells for many years. Many of the technologies still in use today were developed many years ago and persist in today's rigs simply because they are the way things have always been done. One example of this is the way in which oil rigs are supplied with fluids such as air, water, mud, and cement. In a typical installation, the rig is positioned remote from a source of these fluids and a hose is built to pump these fluids to and from the rig. The hose is built from hose and or pipe segments which are relatively short—on the order of ten or twenty feet in length. Each length is connected with a hammer union, and this is performed by skilled technicians at the rig site. This method is costly in terms of time and other resources.

SUMMARY

Various features are described herein to illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a hose reel for use with an oil rig. The reel can include a rotating drum having a central axle and a hose configured to be wound upon the drum such that rotation of the drum causes the hose to play in or out of the reel. The hose is rated for pressures greater than 5,000 psi. The reel also includes a port arm coupled to the hose and configured to provide a fluid passage from the hose, and a reel port rotatably coupled to the port arm to permit the port arm to rotate with the rotating drum. In some embodiments the hose reel is not greater than twelve feet tall and not greater than twelve feet wide to permit transport via a truck using standard roadways and minimal permits.

Further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an oil rig including a base that can move between oil wells, and a hose reel carried by the base. The hose reel is rotatable relative to the base. The hose reel can have a hose at least partially wound upon the hose reel and capable of passively playing out the hose as the base moves between oil wells. The hose can be between 40 and 150 feet in length.

Still further embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a hose reel assembly including a base having an axle and a rotating drum coupled to the axle to permit the rotating drum to rotate about the axle. The assembly can also have a hose between 40 and 150 feet in length and having a pressure rating of greater than 5,000 psi. Substantially the entire hose portion is wound around the rotating drum in a single layer of coils.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is two isometric illustrations, left and right, of a hose reel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the reel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a hose and a port arm according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a hose reel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a hose reel assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of a reel assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure, including a base, an axle, and a drum.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a hose reel assembly according to further embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a hose reel assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure in which the hose reel includes only a single drum section.

FIG. 9 shows yet further embodiments of a hose reel assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of a well pattern and a rig movement scheme according to aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Delivering fluids to an oil rig is a challenging proposition due to the many constraints inherent in the endeavor. In today's oilfield oil wells are distributed in more varied patterns, including non-linear or grid-like patterns, whereas in years past wells were distributed in straight lines and with more certain distances between the wells. A previous approach was to use discrete, relatively short hose segments which were joined together via hammer unions as the rig was moving from well to well. This approach may be efficient if the wells are spaced apart such that the hose and or pipe segments match the distance between the wells. The hose segment approach can also be poorly suited for wells distributed in a non-linear arrangement because it is somewhat limited in its ability to accommodate a non-linear pattern of wells.

The four most typically used fluids on an oil rig are air, water, mud, and cement, though the present disclosure is not limited to these fluids. For that matter, the present disclosure is not limited to use with oil rigs and can be used in other fields such as construction, military, fire control, agriculture, etc. One challenge presented by cement and mud is the hoses are made of a much more durable and pressure-resistant material, and in dimensions exceeding those for other applications. In some embodiments the hoses of the present disclosure are rated to hold pressure between 5,000 and 10,000 psi. They can have an outer diameter of seven inches and an inner diameter of two inches. The hoses can be made of a woven steel and/or nylon material to support the pressure and perhaps the harmful nature of the fluids, such as corrosiveness or toxicity. As such, these hoses may be damaged if they are bent at a radius smaller than a prescribed minimum bend radius. Some hoses simply cannot be made to bend more than their prescribed minimum bend radius. Additionally, the hoses are heavy enough that manually turning a reel upon which the hoses are wound is impossible without mechanical assistance in the form of a motor. Considering these parameters, the hoses of the present disclosure can be between 40 and 150 feet in length, greatly minimizing the amount of work and expenditure of time and resources required to operate the hose at the rig.

Yet another constraint upon the hose reels disclosed herein are transport restrictions. Many jurisdictions in the United States have restrictions upon the height, width, and weight of an object to be transported on roadways. For example, many states have a restriction to twelve feet high, twelve feet wide for any trailer or truck. Some of these restrictions allow the envelope to be up to sixteen feet, but they can require a more expensive license, and may have some time of day/week restrictions and even route restrictions. Some bridges are not tall enough to transport certain objects and no license can change that.

FIG. 1 is two isometric illustrations, left and right, of a hose reel 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure, where reference numerals are used for the same referents in both illustrations. The hose reel 100 includes a base 102, an axle 104, and a drum 106. The drum 106 has two axially separated sections: a first section 108 and a second section 110. The two sections 108 and 110 can be separated by a partition 112. The two sections 108, 110 can have different diameters to accommodate hoses of different widths. In some embodiments, the reel 100 (including the reel, the base, and a trailer or truck) has a total width of no greater than twelve feet, and a height of no greater than twelve feet, allowing the trailer or truck to transport the reel 100 within common transportation limitations.

The drum 106 can have outer flanges 114 at an outer periphery of the drum 106 to help maintain a hose in position on the drum 106. The hoses are not shown here and will be shown later in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the two sections 108 and 110 are for hoses intended for different fluids. For example, the first section 108 can be for cement and the second section 110 can be for mud. The drum 106 can have a slot to accommodate loading the drum 106 onto the axle 104. The drum 106 can be riveted, bolted, welded, or otherwise fastened to the axle 104 such that the drum 106 can rotate relative to the axle 104 and the stand 102 to play the hose out or in as needed.

The hose reel 100 also includes fluid ports 118 and 120—one on each side of the reel 100. In some embodiments a single port can be used on either side of the reel 100. In some embodiments, the fluid ports 118, 120 are concentric with respect to the axle 104. A rotatable joint can be used to allow the drum 106 to rotate with respect to the fluid ports 118, 120. Fluid can be pumped into the fluid ports 118, 120. The fluid ports 118, 120 are in fluid communication with the hose, such that pumping fluid through the ports 118, 120 causes fluid to enter and pass through the hose. The hoses and fluid ports 118, 120 can be used to move fluid in either direction—into the port and then to the hose, or from the hose to the port and out of the reel 100.

The reel 100 also includes a motor 124 which is operatively connected to the axle 104 and the drum 106 such that the motor 124 powers rotational movement of the drum 106 relative to the base 102. The motor 124 can be an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic motor, or any other suitable source of power configured to rotate the drum 106 to play in and out the hose from the reel 100.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the reel 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The reel includes a port arm 129 is coupled to an interior region of the port 118 shown in FIG. 1. When assembled, the port arm 129 is positioned within the drum 106. The port arm 129 includes an axial section 136, a plate 143, a bend 133, a radial section 130, and a hose coupler 132. The plate 134 can be fastened to the drum 106 at a center region. The bend 133 is coupled between the plate and the radial section 130. The hose coupler 132 is coupled to the radial section 130 and the hose which is wound onto the drum 106. As the drum 106 rotates the port arm 129 rotates with it. The axial section 136 can have a rotatable joint to permit rotation of the port arm 129 relative to the port 118. The axial section 136 can have a hammer union coupling it to the port 118 and the rotatable joint can be positioned outside the port 118. The axial section 136 can have a machined face which rests in a split bearing of the base 102. The base 102 can have a split pillow block bearing 131 or another suitable bearing to support the weight of the drum 106 and allow rotation. The plate 134 can have a drive sprocket mounted to it which can be engaged by the motor 124. In some embodiments the port arm 129 is hollow and conducts fluid from the line entering the reel 100 and the hose wound onto the drum 106.

The reel 100 can have a second port arm 140 which is substantially similar to the port arm 129, including axial portion 150, plate 148, bend 146, radial section 142, and hose coupler 144. The second port arm 140 can be configured for use with a different material and as such can have different dimensions from port arm 129. The motor 124 can be positioned on either side of the reel 100 or there can be two motors, one on each side.

In some embodiments the drum sections 108, 110 can be formed to rotate relative to one another to allow one hose to be played out independently from the other. In such a case there can be two motors, one on each side configured to move the drum sections 108, 110.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a hose 160 and a port arm 129 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The drum, base, and other components are hidden in this view to highlight certain features. A portion of the hose 160 is unwound from the reel as shown at 162. The reel can rotate in a counterclockwise direction to play out the hose as shown by arrow A. As the reel rotates, the port arm 129 also rotates around the circumference of the reel such that fluid can be pumped through the hose 160. The port arm 129 includes a hose coupler 132 configured to accommodate the bend from the port arm 129 and into the wound hose portion. The dimensions of this bend are driven by constraints due to the pressure and other characteristics of the fluid in the hose 160.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a hose reel 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The reel 100 includes a base 102, an axle 104, a drum 106 having a first section 108 and a second section 110, two port arms 129, and two corresponding hose couplers 132 generally analogous to features described in other figures of the present disclosure. The reel 100 also shows two hoses leading into the reel 100: 166 a and 168 a. These hoses are coupled to spooled hoses 166 b and 168 b, respectively. The diameters of hoses 166 and 168 are different to accommodate fluids having different requirements or subject to different constraints. In some embodiments the two fluids are cement and mud. The sections 108 and 110 of the drum 106 are sized to accommodate the size difference. In some embodiments shown in the detail section, the diameter of the drum sections 108 and 110 is also different to align the centerlines of the wound hoses 166 b and 168 b as shown by line B. In some embodiments the first section 108 carries mud in a hose with a seven inch diameter and the second section 110 carries cement in a hose with a five inch diameter. The hoses, when wound onto the drum 106, have a centerline passing through the center of the hose. The diameter of the drum sections 108 and 110 can be chosen such that the centerline of both hoses is same for both sections. In other words, the radius of the first drum section 108, plus the radius of the hose carried by the first drum section 108 is equal to the radius of the second drum section 110, plus the radius of the hose carried by the second drum section 110. These are not to be construed as limiting embodiments. These dimensions can be chosen to take into account some deformation of the hose as it is wound onto the drum 106, or the hoses can be such that there is virtually no distortion or a negligible amount of distortion in the hoses as they are wound onto the drum 106. In some embodiments the hoses are of a length that is wound onto the drum sections to form exactly one layer of hose covering the surface of the drum 106, thereby allowing the centerline of this single layer of hose coils to be precisely known. In some embodiments, the hose has a seven inch diameter and a length of approximately 150 feet, and the diameter of the drum is approximately ten feet. In other embodiments the hose has a minimum bend radius of five feet. Yet other embodiments include a hose or pipe between 2.26″ and 7.41″ with pressure ratings between 5,000 psi and 15,000 psi and bend radiuses from 20″ up to 60″. Based on bend radiuses, reel can have a diameter range of 40″ up to 120″.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a hose reel assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The hose reel assembly 100 includes a base 102, an axle 104, and a drum 106 similar to other embodiments shown herein. The drum 106 can have two sections 108 and 110 which may be selectively permitted to rotate about the axle 104 relative to one another. In some embodiments a pin or a clutch can be used to selectively permit the drum sections 108 and 110 to rotate relative to one another. The assembly 100 also includes a motor 124, shown conceptually, coupled to a partition 112 between the two drum sections 108, 110. The motor 124 can be selectively coupled to one or both drum sections to permit selective powered rotation of the drum sections using power from the motor 124.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of a reel assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure, including a base 102, an axle 104, and a drum 106. The assembly 100 also shows a hose coupling 132 which is part of the port arm 129 shown to greater advantage in FIGS. 2 and 3. Notice how the hose coupling 132 is aligned with where the hose would be when wound onto the drum.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a hose reel assembly 100 according to further embodiments of the present disclosure. The assembly 100 has three detailed sections, B, C, and D. Detail section B shows further detail of the motor-drum interface. The drum has a hub 169 and a sprocket 170 fastened thereto, or formed into the hub 169. The motor 124 is operatively engaged with the sprocket 170 to rotate the reel. The axle 104 can be supported by a split pillow block bearing 172 or another suitable mechanical fastener. Detailed section C shows a switch 178 operatively coupled to the motor 124 and configured to allow activation of the motor 124. In some embodiments the motor 124 can also be operated as a brake, such as in the case of an electric motor. Detailed section D shows an interface 174 to permit access to power for the motor 124. FIG. 7 also shows an enlarged view of a pin 176 which can be used to engage or disengage the motor from the drum 106 as desired.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a hose reel assembly 200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure in which the hose reel includes only a single drum section. Other aspects of the assembly 200 can be generally similar to features elsewhere described herein.

FIG. 9 shows yet further embodiments of a hose reel assembly 300 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 shows a top and a side view of the assembly 300. The assembly 300 includes a reel 302 and a skid 304. The skid 304 can be a platform configured to permit easy transport of the reel 302. The reel 302 can be mounted with bearings or rollers to rotate about a vertical axis to allow the hose to play out at an angle with respect to the rig. This is useful in situations where the rig is moved along a non-linear pattern. In some embodiments, the rig can be configured to allow passive release of the hose or hoses as the rig moves. This eliminates the need for manual construction of the hose via hammer unions as was previously done.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of a well pattern and a rig movement scheme according to aspects of the present disclosure. An oil rig 200 is shown at three different well sites, 202, 204, and 206. The rig 200 moves along path 208 between site 202 and 204, and along path 210 between sites 204 and 206. The rig 200 can be equipped with a hose reel according to embodiments of the present disclosure which allow a relatively long hose to be played out as the rig 200 moves between the well sites. In some embodiments the hose can be between 0 and 150 feet in length. The hose is coupled to a source 218 of fluid. The fluid can be virtually any fluid. For many purposes the fluid is one or more of air, water, cement, or mud. There can be multiple hoses, one or more for each fluid. As the rig 200 moves to the first wellsite 202, the hose will play out in a straight line 212 reflecting the straight path the rig took to reach the first wellsite 202. As the rig moves to the second wellsite 204, the hose continues to play out passively or under some mechanical assistance, but since the second wellsite 204 is not aligned with the first wellsite 202, the hose will need to curve as shown at 214. The hose reel of the present disclosure can swivel to permit this curve. Furthermore, the nature of using a single hose section from a reel is much better suited to moving between non-linearly arranged well sites. Under the previous technique, the hose would need to be manually constructed one 20-30 foot section at a time, requiring much more time and resource expenditure than the techniques disclosed herein.

The foregoing description is given to highlight certain features of the present disclosure and any examples given are for illustration and not limitation. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that features and aspects of the present disclosure are described sufficiently to enable them to make and use features of the present disclosure without undue experimentation. It is to be appreciated that relative terms such as front, back, right, left, down, up, etc. are given to help understand certain figures and are not used in a limiting way. 

1. A hose reel for use with an oil rig, comprising: a rotating drum having a central axle; a hose configured to be wound upon the drum such that rotation of the drum causes the hose to play in or out of the reel, wherein the hose is rated for pressures greater than 5,000 psi; a port arm coupled to the hose and configured to provide a fluid passage with the hose; and a reel port rotatably coupled to the port arm to permit the port arm to rotate with the rotating drum.
 2. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the hose reel is not greater than twelve feet tall and not greater than twelve feet wide.
 3. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the rotating drum has a first section and a second section axially spaced apart from one another, wherein the first and second sections are configured to a first hose and a second hose respectively having different diameters.
 4. The hose reel of claim 3 wherein the first section and second section have different diameters.
 5. The hose reel of claim 4 wherein a radius of the first section plus a radius of the first hose is equal to a radius of the second section plus a radius of the second hose such that a centerline on the first and second hoses when wound upon the rotating drum is at the same radius relative to the central axle.
 6. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the hose is configured to carry at least one of mud or cement.
 7. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the hose has an interior diameter of at least four inches and an outer diameter of at least seven inches.
 8. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the hose is between 40 and 150 feet long.
 9. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the hose has a minimum bend radius equal to a radius of the rotating drum.
 10. The hose reel of claim 1, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the rotating drum.
 11. The hose reel of claim 3 wherein the first section and second section are rotatable relative to one another on the central axle.
 12. The hose reel of claim 11, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to one or more of the first section and second section of the rotating drum.
 13. The hose reel of claim 12 wherein the motor can be selectively coupled to one or more of the first and second sections of the rotating drum.
 14. The hose reel of claim 1 wherein the rotating drum is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and wherein the hose reel is further rotatable about a vertical axis.
 15. An oil rig, comprising: a base configured to move between oil wells; a hose reel carried by the base, wherein the hose reel is rotatable relative to the base; a hose at least partially wound upon the hose reel and configured to passively play out the hose as the base moves between oil wells, wherein the hose is between 40 and 150 feet in length.
 16. The oil rig of claim 15 wherein the hose has a pressure rating of at least 5,000 psi.
 17. The oil rig of claim 15 wherein the hose reel wound with hose is not greater than twelve feet tall and is not greater than twelve feet wide.
 18. The oil rig of claim 15, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the hose reel and operative to rotate the hose reel.
 19. A hose reel assembly, comprising: a base having an axle; a rotating drum coupled to the axle to permit the rotating drum to rotate about the axle; a hose portion being between 40 and 150 feet in length and having a pressure rating of greater than 5,000 psi, wherein the entire hose portion is wound around the rotating drum in a single layer of coils.
 20. The hose reel assembly of claim 19, further comprising a transport configured to support the base, rotating drum, and the hose portion, wherein the transport is able to be carried by a truck.
 21. The hose reel assembly of claim 19, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the rotating drum and configured to rotate the rotating drum. 